Hacker News Reader

Comment by edgarallenbro | Hacker News Reader

There is a difference between people who 'think' texting while driving is safe because they are ignorant and people who think that it's safe because it doesn't actually lead to any accidents.

The people in the latter group can be proven wrong objectively by data that shows accidents that occur as a result of texting while driving, whereas the former group is irrelevant because they are simply ignorant.

There is currently no data or at least not enough data to support the conclusion that simply wearing a Google glass (which does not imply use in the same way that holding up a cell phone while driving does) causes accidents.

View on HN

Let's not pretend we need a study to determine whether using your google glass while driving is safe or not. Anything that takes your attention away from the task at hand - navigating a one-to-two-ton piece of machinery at high speeds - is going to cause accidents.

That's a ridiculous oversimplification: How do you know Glass will not allow people to be better drivers? like hearing: "You may want to reduce your speed, you are going over the 70 mph limit" or "You are going the wrong way, please turn you car around" or "There is a jam in this street a few miles ahead, you may want to take take Loremipsum road".

If the device eventually can improve the "task at hand" when driving then _the police_ is the one increasing risks by punishing people with wearable technology.

That's a valid point only if it could somehow auto-engage on 'drive-mode' and disallow any other function.

The burden would be on the maker to ensure that.

Otherwise, it maybe could allow for safer driving, but it sure would allow reckless facebook/driving.

Are just going to pretend that driver don't get distracted already with GPSs? with conversations with other passengers? with phone conversations?

What if is way more safe to use your voice than your hands to communicate? (and some people is going to do it anyway despite laws against texting while driving)

What if is way faster to change your eye-focus than to move your eyes and head to see the GPS?

Many of you guys commenting here are acting like this thing is black-and-white when is clearly not.

But wearing it is not the same as using it.

Do we really need to have data on several hundred or thousand injury, maiming and death records for each new type of gadget that comes out?

If X requires your attention, it will cause accidents. We already have enough data on that.

If you don't activate it, how does Google Glass require your attention just because you're wearing it?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com